This dataset has been superseded by Version 3: http://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/QSCAT_LEVEL_2B_OWV_COMP_12 . This QuikSCAT Level 2B dataset contains science-quality ocean surface wind vector retrievals from the NASA SeaWinds scatterometer. The Version 2 L2B data continues to be openly distributed to allow sufficient time for community acceptance of the Version 3 dataset. The retrievals are provided on a non-uniform grid within the swath at 12.5 km pixel resolution. Higher resolution is achieved through a slice composite technique in which high resolution slice measurements from L1B data are composited into a 12.5 km wind vector cell. The increased sampling resolution enables users to obtain wind vectors 10 km closer to shore when compared to the 25 km L2B dataset. Each L2B file corresponds to a specific orbital revolution (rev) number, which begins at the southernmost point of the ascending orbit. An ASCII inline quality report (Q2B) has been generated for each L2B file; each Q2B file provides statistics of various quality elements pertaining to the processing of a specific L2B file. These wind vector retrievals have been processed using the QSCAT-1 geophysical model function. This is the official dataset produced by the QuikSCAT Project through the SeaWinds Processing and Analysis Center (SeaPAC). The SeaWinds instrument is a conical scanning pencil-beam radar, with dual-beam and dual-polarization capability, operating at Ku-band to provide all-weather ocean surface wind vector retrievals. For more information on the QuikSCAT platform and mission, please visit http://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/OceanWind/QuikSCAT .

SENSORName: SeaWinds Scatterometer (SEAWINDS)Swath Width: 1800 kmDescription: SeaWinds is a Ku-band (13.4 GHz) Scatterometer which features a single circular scanning dish antenna to provide pencil-beam measurements, as opposed to the common fan beam design as seen with other spaceborne scatterometers. The pencil-beam design has several key advantages over the more common fan beam design: higher signal-to-noise ratio, smaller size, and superior coverage. The SeaWinds single antenna utilizes twin offset feeds, thus providing two pencil-beam footprint paths with an elliptical sampling footprint of approximately 25 km (in azimuth) by 37 km (in look/range direction); these pencil beams have opposing polarizations (i.e., vertical and horizontal), thus achieving dual-polarization. The SeaWinds instrument provides a full 1800 km-wide swath coverage (including the nadir region), which allows for a nominal daily measurement coverage of 90% over the ice-free oceans.